Storming forward Jaeger brought his axe down in a ferocious flurry of blows. At first Kadrin caught them on his sword and staff, blocking each as they came; an arrogant look on his face. That quick turned as each blow seemed to gain strength, soon he found himself being pushed back. The bounty hunter’s strength and skill was unexpected, but good. He liked it when his opponents were strong. It made beating them all the more satisfying.

  Jaeger fought much like the gun’s he favored, an explosive, deadly but short bout. The longer it went the more he slowed down and that was when Kadrin counter attacked.

  The axe blow was just a breath slower than the last but for an expert like Kadrin that was all the opening he needed. Smashing it aside with his staff he managed to slash out with his sword, forcing Jaeger backwards; breaking his momentum.

  “Good, now show me more.”

  Planting his staff in the ground, Kadrin took a two handed grip on his sword and shot forward. With a mighty strike he brought it down, wondering how the bounty hunter would react.

  Jaeger dodged to the side and struck out. Only to have his blow thrust aside and riposted with a cut towards his neck. Leaning back, he turned it into a fall and rolled back, coming to his feet easily, but wary. He saw the smile on the swordsman’s face and knew the man was enjoying this.

  Kadrin was impressed so far, the bounty hunter had survived so far, but he wondered how long he could last. The man did not seem to be breathing to heavily, nor was he coated in sweat; the man would be a worthy kill. Kadrin would enjoy watching the bounty hunter’s death, hopefully the Lord of Decay would too.

  Jaeger came at Kadrin, unleashing a hail of blows. Slowly he started to build up a momentum again, only for it to be ended when the swordsman met and held his next strike. Kadrin began to push forward, putting more and more of his strength behind his blade.

  Beneath his jacket, the bounty hunter's muscles bulged in his arms and shoulders. Sweat started to bead down his face as veins on his neck stood out from strain. The swordsman seemed as immobile as one of his now dead treants, the gradual pressure of his sword told Jaeger he wasn’t. The swordsman’s face was a mask, seemingly frozen in an image of disappointment. Slowly Jaeger managed to lock in and keep the blade from moving, it took most of his strength and wouldn’t last long. Kadrin had a similar thought.

  The whites of his eyes changed, they changed, as though being polluted they slowly turned an unnatural green. As his eyes changed so did the stalemate, the swordsman started to gain an edge. His sword pushed harder and harder, driving Jaeger to his knee.

  Gritting his teeth and struggling, Jaeger pushed with his all. Trying to right himself but it wasn't enough.

  "Nothing but a momentary distraction? How boring." His voice devoid of emotion and almost sickly the swordsman spoke. Then he pushed to finish it, the gradual change now becoming immediate.

  Something in Jaeger rattled and from the depths of him a familiar but changed aura emerged. Once a part of the swordsman it had changed, now instead of pressuring Jaeger it leant him strength. Slowly he was able to push back, slowly righting himself, before rising from his knee and eventually reaching a standing position.

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  "Silver eyes?" The swordsman said in a hushed voice.

  Jaeger took that moment of distraction and shoved. Pushing the swordsman away from himself. The bounty hunter's axe flashed forward. The blow was a blur, nearly too fast for the eye to follow, he did not know how the swordsman got his sword in the way but he did. The sword slipped around the axe like a snake before twisting it away and striking forward. Jaeger jerked his head to the side, turning a decapitation into a grazing strike; the deadly blow cutting but not deeply.

  The bounty hunter matched the swordsman’s blow with one of his own. The axe flashed towards him with the irresistible force of a thunderbolt. Again the swordsman was ready but this time he met the blow head-on. Companion steel clashed with decayed metal. Red sparks flew as they met. Once more they parted before flying back at each other and trading blows again.

  They exchanged a flurry of blows, each pass increasing in speed. Soon they were moving so fast that Jaeger was acting on something beyond instinct. He wasn't sure how he survived the encounter but he did, reeling back with a deep slash down his chest. Opposite him Kadrin bore a deep rent across his thigh, but somehow appeared less damaged then the bounty hunter.

  The swordsman ran a finger through his blood and licked it before laughing and preparing to spring forward.

  From nowhere a fist slammed into Kadrin's chest, intercepting him. As it hit the rest of Emilia appeared, hair and clothes rumpled but expression serene. The punch was meet with a deep and unsettling cracking noise that came from Kadrin's chest. The man coughed a cup's worth of blood as he staggered backwards. Emilia sprang forward throwing out a pair of quick jabs, keeping her momentum going. The landed firmly, but less devastatingly then her first. She sprang forward a leaping punch crashing towards the stunned swordsman. Kadrin sensing the danger, or simply recovering from his stunned state, retaliated with a whip like blow that met Emilia and threw her aim off. She fell to the side, rolling uncontrollably. As she struggled to her knees, Jaeger moved in.

  His axe flashed through a savage arc and almost connected but his wounds slowed him and Kadrin had just enough time to counter it. Striking out the swordsman hit the axe and redirected it past him. There followed another flurry of blows that, once again each strike grew in speed but with both combatants wounded they didn't reach the same speeds as before. The contest this time did not end with both reeling back instead, each one lost their weapon. Jaeger's axe was slapped from his hands and Kadrin sword was struck free. Each one staggered back, but one was more experienced than the other and recovered first.

  Kadrin slipped forward and let loose a flurry of blows into Jaeger's chest, bringing the man to his knees. The swordsman grinned, bloody teeth and savage joy, as he grasped Jaeger's neck in his hands. Slowly lifting the man until he could look him in the eyes.

  "I have not been tested like this in decades, not since I left the Black Lagoon Company. It is almost a shame to end it like this."

  He began to squeeze, glee rushing across his face as Jaeger struggled to breath.

  "But then I see this and I know killing you is worth it. Your death's head shall be imprinted in my mind."

  Jaeger’s vision was slowly eroding, growing smaller and smaller. He knew he had only seconds before he was done for, he needed a game changer. Holding his hand down he summoned his pistol and started charging it. He worried that its sudden appearance would draw Kadrin’s attention but the man was too busy watching his face to notice anything else.

  So he was unprepared for the star elf back stab.

  From behind him Troy appeared, looking shaken but determined, and up thrust his tightly held dagger into Kadrin’s back.

  With a pained howl Kadrin threw Jaeger away from himself and spun to confront his new assailant.

  “YOU!”

  “Me.”

  Kadrin pounced, his sword flying towards Troy only to be met with a stalwart shield.

  “And me.”

  Brad stepped forth, a pallid tone to his skin that did nothing to diminish the determination on his face.